The present invention relates to book constructions which can be folded out to define a play area including a travel path for a wind-up toy train or similar object, the train being removable by the user from a storage compartment of the book construction for play along the travel path.
Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a play toy and book assembly of the prior art is shown generally at 50. Assembly 50 includes a book spine 54, and front and rear covers 58, 62 attached thereto on opposite sides thereof. A small storage box 66 is mounted to the front cover 58, and the contents of the box can be viewed through a window 70 in the front cover. When desired, the box 66 can be opened and the play train 74 removed therefrom, as shown by dotted lines in FIG. 3.
FIG. 2 shows the front cover 58 open and the assembly 50 lying flat. A plurality of flaps 78, 82, 86 (FIG. 4) are attached to the right edge 90 of the rear cover 62. Pop-up objects shown generally at 94 are provided between adjacent ones of these flaps. With the covers 58, 62 folded backwards and set up as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and one of the flaps 78 folded down, a (first) village formed by the pop-up objects 94 and drawings and decorations on the flaps is formed with a (first) path passing through the village. A (second) different village and path are formed when the second flap is folded down. The objects 94 are buildings, tunnels, trees, animals or people.
A plastic rail 98 embedded in the bottom flap, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, defines a track passing through the village along the path. The toy train 74 when removed from the box 66 and wound up is set on the track over the rail 98 and allowed to run along the track. The track and village are very small, however; the flaps 78 being only approximately 81/2 by twelve inches, despite the fact that the book itself when folded up as shown in FIG. 1 is very tall, approximately fifteen inches, unable to stand upright on the shelves of many children's book cases. The child user's imagination and play options are not adequately challenged, with this tiny train play area. Accordingly, this was an unpopular and commercially unsuccessful product.